Expression of the genes of interferons and other cytokines in normal and diseased tissues of man

Abstract

Specific interferon genes are transcribed at low levels in the spleen, liver, and peripheral blood leukocytes of normal individuals in the apparent absence of virus infection while other interferon genes remain unexpressed in the same tissues. In contrast, the genes of cytokines such as IL-1, IL-6 and TNF are expressed at relatively high levels in the organs of normal individuals. The level of expression of the IL-1, IL-6 and TNF genes is markedly reduced in the livers of patients with autoimmune liver disease compared to the level of expression in the liver of normal individuals, whereas the expression of interferon genes is similar in both normal and diseased liver, suggesting that a defect in the expression of specific cytokines is associated with severe liver disease.

Cytokine mRNA expression in the liver of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and chronic hepatitis B (CHB)

“…It has been postulated that they contribute to the pathophysiology of many diseases in which the tissue lesion is characterized by a chronic inflammatory reaction, including autoimmune diseases [27,28].…”

“…Cytokines, which are synthesized by host T cells in response to injury, infection and various immunological events, modulate both localized and systemic host defence mechanisms by regulating the growth, mobility and differentiation of lymphoid as well as nonlymphoid cells [12]. It has been postulated that they contribute to the pathophysiology of many diseases in which the tissue lesion is characterized by a chronic inflammatory reaction, including autoimmune diseases [27,28].…”

Anti‐tumor effects of interferon in mice injected with interferon‐sensitive and interferon‐resistant friend erythroleukemia cells. VIII. Role of the immune system in the inhibition of visceral metastases

“…As numerous cytokines can influence immune responsiveness (De Maeyer and De Maeyer-Guignard, 1988;Tovey, 1989), we have tested the possibility that IFN a/p might act on the immune system via the induction of IFN y (a T-cell product). Our results showed that IFN y was probably not important in the anti-tumor effect of IFN a/p in mice injected i.v.…”

Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Confers Resistance to Hypoxic Injury in the Adult Mammalian Cardiac Myocyte

“…When TNF-␣ is elaborated in low concentrations, this cytokine acts primarily in an autocrine/paracrine/juxtacrine manner and is thought to play an important role in regional tissue homeostasis as well as in the regulation of local host defense responses. [1][2][3] When elaborated in higher concentrations, however, TNF-␣ can produce devastating endocrine effects that include metabolic wasting (cachexia), microvascular coagulation, and lethal hemodynamic collapse. [4][5][6][7] Thus, TNF-␣ may produce either adaptive homeostatic responses or devastating maladaptive effects, depending on the duration and degree to which this cytokine is expressed.…”